KAFFEINE / Arts & Culture, Placemaking, Public Relations, Visual Arts

Japan House London launches new creative crossing

1 September 2021

A striking blue and white design by award winning artist Tokolo Asao, creator of the Tokyo 2020 Games emblem brought has been installed as Japan House London’s new ‘creative crossing’ attracting people to cross Kensington Highstreet and into the building.

The large-geometrically patterned work was launched with a little help from Chelsie Giles, Bronze medallist for Judo at the Tokyo 2020 Games and we secured media coverage across the London and nation media. The launch coincided with a succesful campaign to support Japan House London’s season of exhibitions and events celebrating the legacy of Japanese designers at the Games including the ground-breaking Tokyo 1964 Games.

We first developed the idea of the Creative Crossing as part of our successful launch campaign for Japan House London to position the building as your gateway to contemporary japan that helped attract 400,000 visitors in its first year.

One of Japan House London aims is to foster creative collaboration between the UK and Japan and the crossing literally extends an artwork as an invitation to do just that – encouraging people to step inside and discover more.

Japan House London was the first cultural building to have an artist designed crossing. The Royal Borough of Kensington and & Chelsea liked the idea and not long after The Design Museum launched its own ‘Bauhaus re-Written’ crossing.